1.27.2009

How cute is this dress? I love that it's so plain which allows for a variety of looks.

I found it while checking some of my favorite online shopping sites. Forever 21 rarely lets me down and since their quality has greatly improved over the years, I shop there on a regular basis. This adorable little frock is only $12.50, so I ordered two! When was the last time you got a dress for under $20?

Having oily skin gets on my nerves. Usually by 11 a.m. I whip out my purse mirror and sure enough my forehead is gleaming and my nose is glowing. The midday oil crisis has reigned its shiny terror all over an otherwise cute face.

Blotting tissues in my purse are a must have at all times.

I alternate between the Tea Tree Oil Facial Blotting Tissues and Boscia Blotting Linens. Both products deliver their promised results of absorbing oil and leaving my makeup in tact. I only wish the Tea Tree Oil tissues were larger to cover more of my face. I have to use two or three at a time as opposed to one Boscia Linen. The sheets are $10 and you get 65 Tea Tree Oil sheets and 100 Boscia Linens.

Vanilla is such a soothing scent and I absolutely adore it. Whenever a fragrant vanilla wafts my way, I instantly feel all warm and cozy. During the winter months, my apartment is a vanilla haven. I have soy vanilla candles, vanilla reed diffusers, and the very vanilla scentstories disc for my Scentstories player. Its vanilla overload and I love it. As soon as I step inside my apartment I take a deep breath and smile. That's the power of scent at work.

For my birthday this year, my good friend gave me the Vanilla Spice Joyful Times gift set (pictured above) from The Body Shop. The set contains: Body Butter, Shower Gel, Body Polish, Mini Votive Candle, and a Two-tone Bath Lily Mesh Sponge. I used the shower gel, body polish and body butter the next day. The scent filled my bathroom and I was taken to a new level of vanilla love. Vanilla Spice is a warm, passionate, almost musky scent. The body butter is so decadent and smooth. It melts into the skin and leaves a great sheen.

I needed a body splash to compliment the set, so I stopped by The Body Shop and purchased the Vanilla Body Mist. It's a perfect compliment to my Vanilla Spice products. The body butter and mist are great pick me ups during a very dreadful Chicago winter.

So in 2009 I'm really trying to take my skincare game to the next level. I recently invested in a Conair Facial Sauna for at home steam treatments and facials. I can't wait to begin making it a part of my weekly skincare regimen and of course I'll post my reviews here.

Last month I received Liz Earle skincare products from my friend and I added the pretty box to my jam packed product shelf vowing to use them soon (of course more products were added to the shelf and the Liz Earle box was soon covered and pushed towards the back). While I was cataloging and reorganizing my products last night the Liz Earle box surfaced! I had one of those Homer Simpson "Doh!!!" moments and opened the box to get familiar with the products...again.

I sat down to read the accompanying product guide and then got down to the business of using the cleanser, toner, and serum. I think I have found my night time skin care regimen. I'll report back in a week to let you guys the results. But I can tell you all that after one use, I'm very impressed ;)

1.14.2009

I'm a major fragrance addict. The top of my dresser is filled with a wide assortment of perfumes and the matching lotions or body creams. I layer my scent for the full scentual experience, lol!

Ralph Lauren Romance has been my favorite fragrance since it debuted in 1999. As much as I love the smell goods, I've never declared a signature scent. I have too many favorites to be loyal to just one fragrance but I think I may have found the one...for now. Ralph Lauren Romance Always Yours is all that. It's sexy, vibrant, sensual, and pretty all at once.

According to the ad, Ralph Lauren Romance Always Yours is the essence of eternal romance. The fragrance has notes of the iconic sun goddess rose, sensual musk, freesia, ginger, lotus flower, day lily, white violet, patchouli, and oakmoss. After spritzing it on while at Nordstrom (my second home) last week, I had to own it. I've been wearing my new love for the past five days and I smell fabulous if I do say so myself.

If you're looking for a new scent, stop by Sephora, Nordstrom, or Bloomingdales and give Ralph Lauren Romance Always Yours a whiff.

Lip stains that smell like horse hoof balm?! These strong opinions make beauty so much fun

TotalBeauty.com reader reviews help you decide which products are must-haves and which ones to avoid like the plague, but they’re also an endless source of amusement. Here are the reviews that had us spewing coffee from our noses.

1.09.2009

Yep. Today is the day. My B'day. I'm celebrating my thirty-shh.... birthday. A lady never tells her age and a lady knows not to ask, lol. And to toot my own horn, I look damn good to be in my thirties - on a no makeup day (mascara and lipgloss) I can pass for sixteen, with makeup I can look 25ish. Good genes. Thanks Mom & Dad!!!!

1.08.2009

Rarely do I post anything about celebs but I couldn't let any of this go.

WTF is up with Beyonce's hair? The roots are clearly in need of service and her weave is going in all four directions looking as if it wants to lift off her head altogther. Was there not enough time to grab a brush and smooth this mess into a chic low chignon?

Jay-Z, Jay-Z, Jay-Z...Hova, what's wrong? *sigh* The glasses. You have been rocking those Mr. Peabody frames for too damn long and it must stop. Now I too wear glasses for reading and watching TV so I can totally sympathize if you in fact are near sighted or far sighted but ummm...these frames are just not you. If anyone from Oliver Peoples is reading this, holla at Hov please.

These pictures were snapped last night at the premiere of "Notorious". Beyonce's "hair" looked a ragged mess and her husband looked as though he came straight from the studio or a very thought provoking lecture at NYU. I can't call it.

1.07.2009

Inside the tube are three layers - the bottom layer is the conditioning color, the middle layer contains high shine polymers, and the top layer has reflective pearls. Pull the wand through all three layers and you get a pretty mix of color, shine, and glitz.

Lip Mix 702 is the most perfect nude gloss I have come across in a very long time. My local Walgreens had some new beauty displays up today and the Milani just caught my eye. Lip Mixer just looks so sparkly in the tube - it mesmerized me, lol.

I wore it with my MAC Cork Lip Liner and it looked great. You know how some glittery glosses have a slightly rough texture due to the glitter? None of that here. The gloss goes on very smooth and is quite moisturizing.

And after one day of wear, I feel safe in stating, this is now my favorite lip gloss.

You can find Milani Cosmetics at CVS, Walgreens, and Target. It cost $6.29 - a fab gloss at a wallet friendly price ;)

The relationship between a woman and her hair stylist is very important. I know people who have their hair done at random by any and everybody, they salon hop, and have the nerve to complain about the poor condition of their hair.

I believe in patronizing a quality salon with talented and capable stylists whose main concern is healthy hair.

If you don't have a regular hair stylist it's time to get serious about finding someone.

So here are my tips for finding a new stylist:

**Ask a friend who has great hair, "Who does your hair?" Referrals can be a great way to find your new stylist.

**Check out salons close to your job or in your neighborhood. Ask the receptionist who the best stylists are.I used to pass a very posh salon on my way to S'bucks every morning. I went in one day to get some information and possibly schedule a consultation. Not only was the salon very upscale, the staff had that 'more upscale than thou' attitude which I detest. Fancy and upscale aren't always good things.

**Interview potential stylists in person so they can see your hair. Ask what is their hair philosophy, what products they use, how do they keep up to date on the latest products, techniques, etc, do they have pictures of their work, what are their hours, what are their rates, how can they help with particular hair issues you may be having, what do they recommend for your hair? During the interview/consultation, the stylist should ask you questions as well and offer some recommendations based on your specific hair type.

**Schedule an appointment with the stylist you feel most comfortable with. It's also a good idea to take a picture of a hair style along so you can see how well the stylist can reproduce the look. If you don't have a picture, that's fine just tell the stylist how you normally wear your hair.

**Pay close attention to the stylist and the salon. Is his/her station clean? What is the salon atmosphere like? Does he have too many clients at the same time causing him to do what I call assembly line styling? Do the clients appear comfortable with the stylist? Is he/she super chatty? Are the clients smiling when they leave the chair?

**If you're pleased with your hair then schedule another appointment and start going to the stylist on a weekly or biweekly basis - that's how you build a good rapport with the hair stylist. It's important to stay with one person who can get your hair in the best condition. Consistency is important in achieving healthy hair.

Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Rim glasses with Cocktail Sugar Chocolate Bar and chill. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Drizzle some chocolate syrup on top for an extra chocolate treat.

Here's the scoop on what products you should think about using in your 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s to keep your skin looking great. With these regimens, you can be on your way to flawless skin in the new year. Who doesn't want that?

- Try looks from different eras like the 1940s ladylike chic but with a modern twist - I have a really nice black pencil skirt and jade green patent leather T-strap pumps...There's an outfit waiting to happen.